Mushrooms - Piece 1For being a basement, it finally started to feel like home, Ryan thought to himself. He had spent the last two years of his life becoming an artist, while he was kept in the darkness in the bowels of his captor's house.He wasn't alone. Lorena was about his age, sixteen, but she was still far from trying to make the best of the situation. Ryan didn't blame her.There were a few positives to living like this and Ryan tried to take advantage with what he had. The basement he was kept in was much bigger than his old room and, more importantly, he was surrounded by all the art supplies he needed. He was currently painting the farthest wall from
Mushrooms - Piece 2Ryan had seen five teenagers around his age die. He was once in the same predicament, but now he has found himself alive and living - at least for now."Lorena?" he whispered. "Are you okay?" he asked. He always asked, even though most of the time they didn't respond. Many preferred to sit in silence, hating the world, hating him. He could hear her crying. "Lorena, everything will be okay," he lied.There were two large cages in the room, if they were aquariums, you'd be able to fit one large shark in each. Ryan used to sleep in one and Lorena slept in the other. Ryan had earned the right to stay outside. For all he knew, he was the only on
Mushrooms - Piece 3Mushrooms are feed shit and kept in the dark. Ryan was one of these mushrooms. He returned after a couple of hours with Uncle John. He walked to the back of the basement and Uncle John took a deep look at his artwork. He was very pleased. He left with a couple of paintings in tow. He later returned with a gift - a flashlight. Ryan was more than happy to receive any kind of gift, but a flashlight would really help him with his artwork. "This better improve your work," Uncle John said as he walked out of the basement. Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Ryan smiled as he walked to the back of the basement. "What are you? Like his pet?" Samantha asked with hatred spewing from every word. He finally had seen her face. She was beautiful, but so were the others. "Idiot, I'm talking to you," she said. He had a strange urge to draw her face, it grabbed him around his skull. He stared at her as he thought about how he could translate her features t
Mushrooms - Piece 4It never took long for the new captive to hate and distrust Ryan. Samantha stayed rolled up on her cot for two days with nothing to say. She even refused to eat any food that was brought for her."You need to eat," was the first thing Ryan said to Samantha."Why?" she sobbed."There are worse things that . . ." Ryan was interrupted."Worse things than him!" she screamed."No, I meant . . . there are worse things he could do to you," he said which made Samantha recoil back to her bed. Her exterior was already broken and she was now more afraid.Ryan continued his work on his mural. He was about done. All that was left was a little dirt mound in the corner. "You're actually pretty good," Samantha said.Ryan simply replied, "Thanks.""You know, if you help me, I think we can get out of here," she said.Ryan smiled. They all pretty much followed the same routine but they all had different paces. What Ryan realized that they went trough four different stages. There was the scared phase, the
Diary of a Madman July 30thJuly 30, 1988Dear Diary,Today is my birthday and my loving husband bought me a wonderful gift - you. I guess after we found all of my old diaries stored in the attic, he knew I would love to have a new one. So today I am overjoyed to have such a loving husband. By the way, Diary, his name is Kurt. We have been married for 3 years and we have never been happier.Kurt couldn't get out from work early, or so that is what he told me. He wants me to meet him at my favorite restaurant tonight. Of course, it's a surprise party. It's more than obvious; but I'm still wondering who will be there. Sally and Steve, for sure. Maybe the Carlsons will
Diary of a Madman July 31stDiary of a Madman by L. VeraJuly 31stDear Diary,I left the apartment today to get some groceries and that old lady down the hall was staring at me again. Sometimes I think she knows.Oh and there is a new tenant across the hall. She must have moved in while I was at the store. I caught a glimpse of her through her opened door. I only saw her beautiful blond hair draped over her blue t-shirt and her nice legs in a pair of tight blue jeans. The apartment was bright. I guess they have yet put up any blinds.Diary, I got more pages done on that novel. I think this is the one. It's definitely better than my first novel. T. Casil is back an
Diary of a Madman August 3rdDiary of a Madman by L. VeraAugust 3rdDear Diary,What a great day. I could not wait to tell you how it went. I went down to check for mail and guess who I saw? Vanessa. I even introduced myself to her. I told her I lived across the hall from her and she apologized for not introducing herself earlier. She was traveling back and forth from her home town, trying to get stuff situated before college started.She was more beautiful than I imagined. She was working on her master's in English Literature. What a surprise, right? I told her I was a writer and had a couple of books published. We talked for almost an hour. We talked as we walked
Diary of a Madman August 8thAn excerpt from the Saturday edition of the Greene HeraldKurt Douglas, local lawyer and attorney, was released today.According to police, Mr. Douglas was suspected of killing his wife on July 30th. The murder took place while Mr. Douglas was at a local restaurant with friends and family. They were gathered to celebrate the Mrs. Douglas's birthday.Mrs. Douglas was found stabbed to death in her home. Police suspected a home invasion till they looked into the couple's insurance policy. Mr. Douglas took out an exceptionally large policy a week before the murder.They were married for 3 years.The police cleared Mr. Douglas on any sus
Diary of a Madman Bk II May 29A television left on in a small quiet community in the tiny town of Marin slowly hums."static...""William Reiner, have you heard from Mr. Casil?""No.""Do you think he may be dead in a gutter somewhere?""He was a fighter. I... know he's alive.""Do you think he's got another book in him?""If he did I would be the first to know. I am his publisher.""static...""Marin police have noticed the rash of graffiti in the local south side. Walls were sprayed in red paint. But what got police involved were the words that dripped. Margaret is on location.""This is Margaret Hinojosa reporting live in the local south side where vandals sp
Diary of a Madman Bk II May 30May 30th 2011Dear Diary,Life in an apartment building - is just plain horrible. Life in a house - the best. This whole neighborhood is slowly emerging from nothing, which will make it harder to get rid of the bodies. When I first moved here I was the only one on the block.A body is buried under the Rosales's house. Another is under the Jackson's home. Across from me is one of my favorites, she wanted me to kill her. Strange, but I could see how ruined she was in the inside. She was almost like me.Next door is a new lot and they pour the cement today. That will cover my new kill from yesterday. You know, I watch television all the time
Diary of a Madman Bk II May 31May 31, 2011MrGreenEyes: Her eyes floated as the water spilled out. On the floor, her blood puddled, mixed with the soapy water as the faucet continued to pour.1 hour ago - Reply - View Tweet -May 31st 2011Dear Diary,I've always been a friend of death. Even as a child I welcomed it. I remember the night my father murdered my mother. Her green eyes staring back at me as she lied on the floor. My father stared at her, angry at her for what he did. He's in prison now, with all the dumb lunatics. The smart ones are still out there. I met a lot of them during my years on the run and today I've finished my fir
Diary of a Madman bk II Apr 1April 1, 2011Dear Diary,My father was a good man. He was a butcher at a local deli/ meat market. I never thought he was capable of butchering real people. There were lots of accusations after he murdered my mother, but none of them stuck. I never realized this as Todd but now I see that my father was fighting the same monster. He never pleaded insanity. I think being in prison was the only way he couldn't hurt anyone. Too bad, I don't see it that way. He just didn't know how to stay in charge like I did. He was an ignorant fool who couldn't balance his world like I can. The thing was he didn't hurt my mother till she threatened to leave.
Dayz 16Day 16A tape recorder rested on a steel table in a sterilized laboratory as a woman's voice floats into the laboratory, "We have found that the serum works. It's quite amazing. The test subject seems to be responding to the test quite well. The subject finished the maze in approximately twenty seconds. Which is two minutes faster than it's original run. We added more variables to the maze and found that the subject is also very adaptable; finishing the new maze in thirty seconds. After our fifth maze the subject would finish a maze in approximately fifteen seconds. The subject also seems to grow smarter and more adaptable."The Director li
Dayz 15Day 15"Where do you see yourself in ten years?" the Senior Vice President, Craig Collins, asked from behind his five thousand dollar oak desk as he leaned back in his leather chair.Steve Knox sat across from Craig Collins in a new suit he bought with his father's money. "This was his last and final chance," his father thought as he wrote him a check, enough for a nice suit. Steve Knox did buy a suit, but he got it at a second hand store and pocketed the rest of the money."Look Steve. I'm trying to do your father a favor and ... I don't see how this is going to work, if you can't answer any of my questions," Craig Collins said as he rock
Dayz 14Day 14Steve awoke in a cold steel chair in a cold steel room. The walls were bare except one with a large two-way window. He wore only a pair of underwear, a long patient's gown and a bandaid on his neck. The wall Steve faced had a one-way mirror."I think this is completely the wrong way to go about it," Mac, the head of security for TeleCorp argued.The Director said, "It's not your call.""Where am I?!" Steve screamed from within the room.The beautiful woman with long black hair, who quietly stood by, spoke into the microphone, "Good morning, Steve Knox. You will slowly gain all motor functions soon. When you stand out of the chair
Dayz 13Day 13Luca slept till eight in the morning and wore his father's old mechanic overalls. His numerous tattoos were covered underneath the thick fabric. Luca ate a bowl of cereal and made himself a bologna sandwich with mustard for lunch. He also threw random snacks into the paper bag. He was off to work for his Uncle's garage.Back behind Stoogie's Bar, Steve Knox awoke covered in trash. He climbed out and as he turned, his eyes meet a beautiful girl in a white sleeveless shirt. She held two bags of garbage and a quizzical look on her face. Steve looked into her eyes and was lost for a moment in her beauty."You need to leave before I call
The Painter : The RedThe Painter: The Red by L. Vera In a different world and in a different time there was a war. The citizens that survived called it The War of Colors and as the Red Queen took town after town she sent her painter to claim her new land. Her painter was an outcast from her army. He was once a decorated soldier but was no longer any use to the Queen. He now served only one purpose, painting. "Kids, stay inside," a mother calls to her children. "Mom, what kind of car is…"
The Painter : The Blue The Painter: The Blue By L. Vera http://doodle777.deviantart.com/Comments: Please read The Red first. This is the second story of three in a series called The Painter. Marcus sat quietly as he slowly drifted in and out of sleep. The Painter is driving them towards The Capital to see Marcus's father. The Capital is a city surrounded by tall towers with many spot lights lighting up the night skies. It was the only city The Red Queen controlled that
The Painter: The Black The Painter: The Black By L. Vera http://doodle777.deviantart.com/Comments: Please read The Red first. This is the third story of a three part series called The Painter. The Capital is the home of The Red Queen. Her kingdom is usually covered with lights and banners but tonight it is shrouded with dense black clouds. The remaining bright spotlights shone through the clouds like the sun tearing through clouds after a rainstorm. Marcus
The Horror Suicide ShowThe pain was unbearable. It was like hundreds of butterflies with razor tipped wings quickly cutting you away from the world. That's how Cherie Morgan felt as she stood in the center of the dark room, with a razor in her hand. The people behind the dark glass watched her die as they sat around smoking cigars and drinking the most delicate wines. Another man joined the booth for the next show and he is greeted, "Welcome to The Horror Suicide Show".The world was falling apart for young Jessie Lee. She had fallen in love with a beautiful girl. Vanity and popularity were her only concerns; she had no time for a girl like Jessie. Again, she walk
An Online DevilDeath . . . Where are you? Ariel typed into her account's front page. One stranger was quick to respond.UrD3vil: Here I am.ArielSmilez1234: Who are you?UrD3vil: Whatever you want me to be.Ariel sat back in her chair as the screen illuminated her mind and room. Her hair was short, like her life. She blinked and wondered who this stranger was. A friend? A Creep? Death?ArielSmilez1234: I want to know who you are? Are you from my high school?UrD3vil: Is that where you want me to be?The question swarmed around her mind, drilling away any conscience decision. Downstairs her parents fought. Yelling, screaming and slamming their way thr
Hardly Love At AllIt's quite strange how we met. The patter of electronic signals passing through the lines. The sound of the computer fans buzzing by my ear. The moaning of the woman I was currently having sex with. Across from us was her husband who was having sex with a much younger girl. She was closer to my age than the couple was.We stood outside the doorway to the apartment building fully dressed. "Got a ride?" I asked her. She seemed too innocent to be meeting strangers on the internet and having sex with them. She just nodded her head no. "Neither do I," I said and she smiled. She was quiet when I first walked in the apartment. She sat on the couch
L. Vera's Three Little Pigs"Little Pig. Little Pig. Let me in," the wolf said as he knocked on the door of straw."Not by the hair on my...""Pig! I don't have time for these games," he interrupted.The wolf was already in a hurry. He didn't have time to waste on the pig's games. So he huffed, and he puffed and blew out a small ring of smoke."Look, Little Pig. I'm tired and I just want my basket of money."The wolf took a couple of puffs on his cigar making the tip burn bright. He then grabbed a handful of straw and lit it on fire with his cigar. In seconds, the whole house was on fire.The pig jumpped through a burning wall with the basket in his arm and ran to
The Burlap ManMy body was made of Hessian,Burlap to many and cloth to few.I worried as the moths woke me,Carrying a piece of me in their mouths as food.I could hear them nibbling, biting, devouring me.I swung my arms, and they attached to them too.Every effort failed and contributed to my pain.This morning, as I looked in my broken mirror, I figured out a plan.My face was no longer the one I loved.It was battered, full of stuffing and full of hate.I wanted them to die, I wanted them to glow.So as they fluttered around my body, attached by their mouths,I lit a match.But their fluttering extinguished the tiny fury.I tried again.
Monsters In My RoomThe monster under my bed hates the monster in my closet. If they kill each other, I'll just have to worry about the monsters in my head.
Songs To Kill Yourself To - Flash FictionThe cassette shattered on the rocks below, its tunes forever engraved in her soul. The battered label read: "Songs To Kill Yourself To".
The Thought FishIt ate thoughts and swallowed them like bubbles. The "Thought Fish" was once believed to . . . wait I've forgotten why I have one.
Last Dog Zombie Hunter previewBruce: The Last Dog Zombie HunterBy L. VeraTime had passed since the world was taken over by a deadly virus that turned many living things into deadly zombies. Much like humans, animals were also infected; but not the little dachshund named Bruce. Currently, Bruce is on his own, since the shelter that took him in was attacked, and now we find him chasing a dog infected by the virus."Come back here," Bruce said as he runs through brush and leaps over tree roots. The collar he wears dances and jingles as he bounds through the forest.Bruce loves to speak. It was another advancement that humans thought was safe.Bruce turns left at a tre
The Monolith: Chapter TenJack woke with everyone running around like caged lizards. Colors filled his eyes as he saw the plastic tubes running up and around the gigantic room. "Good you're up." The voice was unfamiliar but as he focused he realized it was Tegan."What's going on?""Accessing the room. No traps or dangers, so now it's time to get ready. Are you up to it?" She said all this without even looking at Jack's face."It's like a giant hamster city.""Yeah. Crazy right?" He laughed almost proud to see what lied in front of their eyes. "A giant hamster city. I call it Hamstertopia."She finally turned, removing herself from the dazed induced by the room a
The Monolith: Chapter NineWhen you hate something, someone it’s hard to keep from kicking it too hard. Jack stood next to the man asleep, kicking him. "Wake up."Paul reacted violently, jumping back onto his hands with a look of dire fear on his face. "Finally caught up to you," George said.Marina shook her head. "I actually hoped you had died back there.""Well," he brushed himself off, trying to regain composure. He wanted to kill them. He didn't know why, but the feeling was there in the back of his head, knocking. "Well, I figured I'd scout ahead for you guys.""Yeah, sure," Jack said walking away from the scared man. "Mendy, what do we got here?"Mend
The Monolith: Chapter EightThey rested and life felt good. Not in the same sense of leaning against a tree on a bright sunny day but like digging a hole for hours, only to find the tiniest bit of shade behind a sun wrmed boulder kind of good. It was better, that was for sure. They ate and it felt filling. They laughed and exchanged stories, even though they didn't remember anything. But they felt good."Mendy, sit with us," Marina yelled at the girl from across the room.Jack passed around a sandwich that was in a plastic bag to Mendy."How do we know they aren't poison?" she knocked the sandwich out of Jack's hand.Jack turned to pick up the sandwich and pushed it
The Monolith: Chapter SevenAt first they were confused by the space of the room. It wasn’t a room. Instead, feet in front of them, were a long set of stairs.Mendy was again the first to venture off and as she disappeared above them, the rest followed up the stairway."Stairs?"Their arms were on fire and now they stared at an obstacle that would make their legs enflamed like a furnace as well.They climbed. The staircase was big enough for two people to walk comfortably side by side and so they split into groups, taking a break for what they thought was around ten minutes. They stayed together and rested together. Time vanished, their eyes began to hurt and
The Monolith: Chapter SixThe chasm could swallow you whole, take your house with it and spit it back into the air, as if it tasted like feces. The group had collected at the edge of a small platform as the door closed behind them, they stared deep into it’s throat and found only fear living there in the darkness.Katie was the first to choke something out,"Why?"It was a good question. It was honest and it had hung in the back of everyone's mind like a shattered mirror holding on to its last shard. "Why?"Jack wanted to answer. Unlike the others he knew why they were here. He knew about the wars that had laid waste to other countries and the retaliation that
The Monolith: Chapter Five"We all wanted to be here," Jack said through the hallway, his aching like it had just split open. They all jogged next to him, listening to the words that flowed like fire."We were chosen to be here . . . we wanted to be here," he said staring blindly forward, almost hypnotized."This is all a big game and at the top of this large monolith is a prize," Jack stopped at the end of the hall, "one wish.""We can have anything we want," he was still in a daze trying to push out the memories that that didn’t help them but forced their way into his head. They hammered through like flood break through a wall, but right now he needed to con
The Monolith: Chapter FourThe world swirled, danced. Darkness turned to figures and those figures turned into light. They hovered around him, watching like gods who loved their creation. They laughed and the sound reminded him of pureness and innocence. There among the grass he saw his mother.Steve had almost drowned but everyone worked together to get everyone into the new room above them. They had all scrambled into the room from the flooded room as it rose, pushing them up. They had noticed one man missing, JackGeorge dove in. The three Kats watched at the edge of the hole, waiting, wanting, and hoping."Where's Jack?" Mendy asked. It was Katrina, she was pale
The Monolith: Chapter ThreeThey managed to enter the next room without anyone melting into the floor. Sometimes it takes a drastic lesson to learn. Seeing someone melt like pizza is a very unforgettable lesson."Where are we now?" Anyone could have said that. No one cared.Mendy had already made her way to the center of the empty room. It was just as big as the two before and it echoed when spoken into it."Mendy, Mendy, Mendy," it echoed through the room. Jack tried again to get her attention but she didn't turn, instead she walked to the end of the room and examined the walls."That girl is going to get us killed," George said out loud and the boy who screamed in
The Monolith: Chapter TwoMendy crossed the threshold first. The others watched as the doorway swallowed her in one gulp.Many trembled, some moved without hesitating, dancing, while the floor below began to change to a dark fiery red and then, they realized that they had to move forward. The darkness stared at them, an open mouth with death as its teeth and a tongue that would swallow their souls. “One wish,” someone whispered and as a group - more like a blind mob who kept close with each other for comfort - they pushed into the hallway. They felt the walls with their trembling hands, guiding their way through the darkness. At first it seemed safe
The Monolith: Chapter OneThe floor was firm and cold, the feeling had reminded them of a hospital examination table. Thoughts of pain, needles and death filled their minds. Then the smell swirled into their nostrils - urine and blood; it was if someone had emptied their diseased bladder here.Jack was the first to awaken, lifting himself with both hands, turning and then, as he got on his knees, he stood among the bodies. He counted. "One, Two, Three . . ." his voice trailed off and when he turned around there was lovely tanned girl staring at him.It had scared him; perhaps anything at the moment would have jolted him. "Hmph," he sucked in lots of air and his arms
Confetti SkycadeNo longer available. Will be in a future anthology with other writers.
Marsha Had A MonsterLittle Marsha had a monster that lived in her basement."Whaaa, whewww," it breathed.And it was too big to pass through the doors."Graaah," it said as it tried to squeeze through one day, before it accepted its fate down below.When her friend, Johnny from down the street, finally came to visit, they heard the sound again."Whaaa, whewww." It grew louder as they tried to ignore it."WHaaaa, WHewww.""What was that?""That's the basement monster and if we just stay quiet, he'll leave us alone.""I don't believe it, let me see.""No. Please," she said grabbing his arm tight enough that he bled where her nails dug in."Your hurting
Mushrooms - The Final PieceRyan had seen death enter through a person's eye. He had captured it many times in his paintings. There was George who was punched repeatedly until he died. There was a girl named Yasmine or could have been Jasmine. She died only after three days. Uncle John grew tired of her screaming and didn't want to waste capturing it on canvas, so he taped her up and cut her open from the bottom of her stomach up to the center of her breast while he raped her. The closet held the shattered kids faces immortalized on a stretched linen that was first coated on gesso. Ryan ran as fast as his trembling feet could take him. He held th
Mushrooms - Piece 11Life in a basement is horrible. With the lack of light and the already apparent dark, evil - shit, its just plain shit - energy, it left your body frail and pale. Uncle John did feed his captives, but they were lucky to get two meals a day. Usually a single meal consisted of cheap burgers and a handful of fries he had picked up picked up for himself but didn't finish. Ryan had already grown weak and his body began to hurt in places he never imagined would hurt. It was if his organs wanted to give it, wanted him to die. He bleed from two different wounds, both from the day before but he was alive. Sam smiled while
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